What's that you got there sonny

I am sort of a techno weenie, and in an effort to get as much data out of my runs as possible I've been strapping this to my wrist for the last 3+ years:


Garmin Forerunner 305
It's been really great because it does give me as much data about my runs as I care to work with, but it proves I'm not an early adopter because several new models have been released since I got my GPS watch. But the only real problem I ever had with it was that it's kind of big enough to simulate strapping a transistor radio to your wrist, so why go through the expense of updating?

Anyway, a little over a week ago, I, in running terms, aged up. It's not significant to running because I didn't age up into a new age group, but still. I'm older. And in celebration/observation of another year of getting grayer and wrinklier I received this:


Garmin Forerunner 410
It does everything my old GPS watch did, only faster, better, wirelessly and with less bulk. The thing that really tripped me out about it was that when I went to upload the data from it to my computer the first time, a process that required a cradle/dock for the device, a cable and a mouse click or two with my old 305, was happening automatically when I got within range of the computer. That was neat.

But what are my thoughts overall?

Pros

The 410 is pretty and functional. It does everything my 305 did, but in a smaller and sleeker package.

Communication. The 405 picks up the satellite much faster than the 305 ever did. Sometimes it was so slow I'd have to stand still and wait with my fingers crossed that it would see the satellite in a reasonable amount of time.

Automatic uploading. I can't stress enough how much this tripped me out the first time it happened.

Con(s)

My old 305 was button driven. You push this button it does this, you push that button it does that. The 405 has a couple buttons, but it has a touch bezel around the outside of the display that supposedly eliminates the need for buttons. Quite frankly I find it a little too clever. I don't really like having to swipe this and push on an imaginary button in that spot, and I have a hard time pressing this hard enough and when should I push that softly? Figuring out how to get to whatever I'm looking for has been ending with my giving up in frustration because I keep going back and forth on the menu screens and turning the wrong things on and off.

Maybe it's that I need to get used this new-fangled doohickey and when I do I'll have no idea what I ever did before it. And it's not like I'm about to return it or anything because if worst comes to worst I can still push a button at the start of my run and the same one at the end of it and the 410 mimics exactly what I used to do with my 305 to start and end the timer.

But more than anything else, I think the Garmin Forerunner 410 has done something no other piece of technology ever has because I've always appreciated its cutting edge: It's made me feel old for not "getting" it right away.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go chase some kids out of my yard.